Warning holidaymakers will outnumber residents of Northumberland parish as Felmoor Park set to expand

A caravan park in rural Northumberland is set to expand despite fears holiday makers will outnumber local residents.

The owners of Felmoor Park near Felton had applied for permission to extend the site by an additional 139 pitches. The site is situated just off the A1, on a lane that provides access to Northumberland Zoo.

At Monday's meeting of the Castle Morpeth Local Area Planning Committee, Coun Doug Green of Thirston Parish Council argued that the expansion, which would effectively double the size of the site, went against the area's neighbourhood plan. The plan said that any expansion of holiday parks in the parish would be opposed.

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He said: "The application does not comply with the Thirston Neighbourhood Plan which states that expansion of existing holiday parks will not be supported. Approving this application would go against the democratic process.

"If the committee approves this they will be undermining the voice of residents. Another 139 pitches will make for over 425 in the parish - the holiday cottages will far outweigh the residential properties, and be of little benefit."

Coun Green also branded the entrance into the site from the A1 as an "accident waiting to happen".

Planning agent Richard Humphreys spoke in the application's defence. He argued that statutory consultees such as the Environment Agency and the local flood authority had made no objections to the plans.

He added that the Northumberland Local Plan - the planning policy covering the entire county - supports the expansion of existing caravan parks. As this policy was adopted after the Thirston Neighbourhood plan, it superseded the latter.

Mr Humphreys continued: "The parish council represent the only remaining objector. The benefits to the economy should not be overlooked - the proposed development will provide 30 to 40 full-time-equivalent jobs."

The plans had been recommended for approval by council planners, and the committee duly approved them by five votes to zero, with one abstention.

Coun Richard Wearmouth said: "I can't see why it would be controversial. I'm happy this is a sensible site - it's not a site that is overlooked from anywhere."